Read More About Medicines in Development for Cancer

771 Medicines in Development for Cancer

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are currently developing 771 new medicines and vaccines for cancer, all of which are in clinical trials or awaiting review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“In recent decades, we have seen great progress in developing effective cancer treatments that help extend lives, improve quality of life and increase productivity,” said PhRMA President and CEO John J. Castellani. “Continued research has expanded our knowledge of how cancer develops and how to target medicines for specific cancer types, which has resulted in more effective therapies for patients.”

As we continue to advance cancer treatment, progress can be seen in declining death rates from cancer and increases in cancer survivors. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the death rate from cancer has been steadily declining since the 1970s—declining more than 15 percent in the period from 2000-2011 alone. Five-year survival rates have increased 39 percent across all cancer types since 1975, with 2 out of 3 people diagnosed with cancer surviving at least five years.